Author's Notes:
I haven't written any fanfiction in a while. Note that I only watch the dubbed anime (yeah, sorry) so I don't know everything that happens later in the series. The dub roughly up to the part where Sasuke says his "final goodbye" to Orochimaru and forms the Heavy. I'd appreciate it if no comments/reviews contained any spoilers past this point. Really, please just don't tell me. Obviously, since the knowledge of the characters in this story can't exceed my own, this also means that this is how far forward the Five can see.
This story is going to have a lot of recap of the plot you know, starting at the very beginning.
Anyway, please review or comment and let me know how I'm doing.
"Looks like you drew the short straw, Halen."
"Can't say I'm thrilled. I've never been much good at concealing my identity. Why don't we have Shin do it?"
Shin glared at Halen. Both men's dark eyes met and a sort of cold fire seemed to pass between. "Don't try to weasel your way out of this now. We all agreed. Whoever draws the short straw goes."
"So we did," admitted Halen coolly. The black flame hadn't left his gaze as he glared at Shin. "I still can't help but think that our purpose would be better served by you going, Shin. I am sworn not to leave our lord's side."
"That's enough. Halen. Shin." The voice that spoke was firm but quiet and free of malice, hard and soft at the same time, carrying the air of friendliness and command in every syllable. "Halen. You drew the short straw. You will go to the Leaf Village, posing as student shinobi born in the Land of Fire, seeking to pass the academy's exam and become a genin in service to the leaf. I will supply you with the necessary references for this infiltration."
Halen bowed his head very low. "Of course, my lord, if that is your will then it will be so, but I am sworn to never leave your service."
"You cannot be both in the Leaf and at our Lord's side," spat Shin venemously.
"On the contrary," replied Halen, his eyes flashing in Shin's direction. "I believe I can do exactly that."
The lord nodded gravely. "Whatever plot you have in mind, Halen, note that it must not jeopardize the mission. You know the stakes. Your oath to me is trifling compared to the success of this operation. You must identify the inflection point. The turning point. From your findings, it is my belief that you can do that by careful observation of two people: Naruto Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails Host, and Sasuke Uchiha, the youngest remaining of his clan."
The bowing Halen dipped his head even further. "Their paths are about to meet and become ever the twain, however distant from one another they might become."
Shin spat again. "You're going to waste your time tracking a pair of children? You think you'll find the inflection point in their cradles, do you? I've had enough of this. I'm going after the Akatsuki." Without so much as a hand sign, Shin's teleportation jutsu activated and he vanished.
A blue-haired man stepped forward from behind the lord, but the lord thrust out a cautioning hand and the newcomer stopped in his tracks. "Let him go. That was to be his mission anyway, but it is of lesser importance to Halen's. I do not believe the Akatsuki to be involved." The blue-haired man nodded and reluctantly backed away. With this, the lord turned his attention back to Halen.
"Go now, Halen. Report to me with your findings as often as convenient. If the inflection point is not found within one year, I will dispatch someone else to relieve you."
"Of course milord. I will go in your name."
"And Halen?"
"Yes, milord?"
"Don't draw attention to yourself."
Halen paused briefly, his dark features unreadable. "Of course, sir," he said at length.
"Dismissed."
At that, the four remaining projections flickered and died into nothingness one by one as the conference jutsu broke, and thus ended the meeting of the Council of Five.
"Excuse me, could you help me? I'm a little lost. I'm trying to find someone named Iruka Umino. Do you know where I could find him?"
The ninja guarding the gate grinned. "Sure I do. It's the middle of the day, so he's probably at the academy teaching. What do you want with Iruka? You look a little old to be starting school."
"I'm not. I'm supposed to take the Academy exam tomorrow to join the Leaf as a genin. It's just that I've never been here before."
"Oh ho. New around here are you? And what's your name, little guy?"
The guard ninja stood and ruffled the light-brown hair of the boy that stood before him. The kid was a little on the thin side, pretty tall for his age. He looked a little scrawny, but from what the ninja could see of the boy's form under his gray-black tunic and trousers, he was pretty strong and well-built too. He could be genin material. And he had his entire left arm bandaged up to his elbow – that probably meant he'd been trainin in taijutsu.
"My name is Halen," said the boy coolly.
"Halen, huh? That's a funny name. Well, Halen, if you've already got permission to take the exam as an outsider, then all you've got to do is follow this street straight down and take a left when you reach the end. There will be signs to the academy the rest of the way."
"Thanks," replied Halen, his eyes following the path. Something diverted his gaze up. "One question. Those faces on the mountain... those are the images of the hokages, aren't they? I thought they were supposed to be sacred icons, so why are they covered in graffiti?"
"What do you mean covered in-" He stopped mid-sentence when he saw the faces on the mountain. "Naruto," he breathed, and without another word ran off.
"Naruto, eh?" muttered Halen to himself. "I might have known."
When Halen arrived at academy after a sauntering walk, the first thing he heard was a yell.
"Because you missed it, Naruto, everyone will review the transformation jutsu!" There were audible groans.
The newcomer rapped his knuckles smartly on the open door.
A man with dark hair and a horizontal scar across his face wearing a leaf chonin's vest and headband poked his head out the door.
"You're Iruka sensei? My name is Halen. I was told to come find you."
"Oh! Halen. You only just arrived, then? Come in. I already heard all about your case from the Hokage. He said that you were referred to the Leaf by an old friend of his in a mountain monastery who trained you in basic ninjustu, and you want to take the academy exam, is that right?"
"That's right," said Halen, his voice still frosty. "I'm sorry to trouble you if you were in the middle of something."
"No, no not at all. It's just that... you've caught me at a bad time. You're about a year older than the rest of the students but why don't you come in and join the class? We were just about to review transformation jutsu. It would be a great opportunity to show everyone how much you know and I can see if you're really ready to take the exam or not." Iruka smiled warmly. Halen tried his best to give a little grin.
"Okay, sure."
Halen followed Iruka into the classroom. Iruka clapped his hand on Halen's shoulder and guided him to the center of the board, in front of the class, and smiled warmly at everyone.
"Hey, everyone. This is Halen. He's new in the class. Please don't treat him any differently just because you don't know him. Halen, why don't you introduce yourself?"
The new boy's eyes played over the classroom. His gaze lingered slightly first on a recently caught and visibly disheveled Naruto Uzumaki, then on Sasuke Uchiha's untidy hair and ruthless eyes.
"My name is Halen. I'm 13. I was adopted by the Sho Mountain Monastery when I was a baby and I've lived there most of my life. I've been training to become a ninja for a long time and I hope to pass the academy exam tomorrow. My specialty is stealth and information gathering. Oh, and I like to climb trees, I guess."
There was virtually no reaction from the class.
"That's great, Halen," said Iruka smiling broadly. "We were just about to review the transformation jutsu. Why don't you start us off?"
"What do you want me to transform into?"
"Oh. We always transform into me. A little vain of me, I guess, but at least it gets you all to pay attention to me!" There were weak chuckles from around the room as Iruka grinned.
Halen looked Iruka up and down. There was a puff of smoke, and suddenly there were two Irukas where before there had been one.
"That's great, Halen!" proclaimed the authentic sensei. In another puff of smoke, the newcomer resumed his previous form: a brown-haired, brown-eyed boy in a black jacket and gray pants with a bandage around his left arm.
"Before we move on, do you have any other jutsu you'd like to show us? Something you picked up that we might not have seen?"
Halen looked at the grinning Iruka, a mildly bemused expression on his face. "Sorry, sensei, but I don't have much chakra. If you really want-"
"Oh, no, no. I didn't mean to put you on the spot. Why don't you just pick a seat and we'll move on. Let's see. Who's next? Sakura!"
The newcomer ascended a few rows and chose a seat a little behind most of the rest of the class, sinking down into it. The spot afforded him a good view of everyone else, notably including the pink-haired girl in red who had just stood. After a burst of smoke, she became a mirror image of Iruka. The real sensei offered a few words of praise before Sakura reverted back into her real form, a young girl flush with success.
"Yes, I did it! Sasuke, did you see that?"
Halen frowned. Sakura... what was her last name again? Haruma? No, Haruno. Sakura Haruno. Halen sighed as he mentally reviewed what he knew of her. Pink hair, typically red garb and scarf, medical ninja – or at least she will be one day – and an obsession with Sasuke Uchiha. She's hardly said two words and she already matches her profile.
"Next! Sasuke Uchiha."
Sasuke sauntered forward and accomplished the same transformation with both trivial ease and a bored demeanor. His hands never seemed to leave his pockets.
And that's Sasuke Uchiha, alright. Minus his clothes, he's more or less identical to his mug shot in the Leaf Village Bingo Book. He hasn't changed much... or rather, he won't change much. His hair might be a little flatter than I'm used to seeing. And his fashion sense definitely takes a turn towards the traditional.
"Naruto Uzumaki." The dark-haired boy and blonde girl flanking Naruto both muttered some cynical words to the orange-suited screw-up. Naruto advanced slowly forward, Halen's unblinking brown eyes trained on him.
"Transform!" he yelled, and in a puff of smoke appeared as a fetching young woman, totally naked. Iruka nearly fell over.
Halen sighed. I guess Naruto doesn't change much either.
"Your final exam will be on the clone jutsu. When your name is called, step forward into the room."
Halen tapped his foot agitatedly until Iruka called his name. Iruka was seated behind a desk with a white-haired ninja the examinee didn't recognize next to him.
"How many clones do you want?" asked Halen, impatience seeping into his voice.
"As many as you can make," said Iruka, looking at his notes.
"I can make more than this room can contain."
Iruka looked up from his clipboard, surprise and skepticism written into his face at this apparent boast. "Okay, then," he said uncertainly. "How about ten?"
"Ten it is," said Halen. He checked himself as he performed the jutsu; he'd almost forgotten to use the hand signs. Being able to make ten clones as a raw academy recruit was suspicious enough without bypassing a few steps. Halen crossed his fingers and ten perfect clones appeared into being behind him. Iruka nodded.
"Very, very good, Halen. Pass. Here, you've earned this." He held out a leaf headband from the dozens lining the table. The infiltrator accepted it with a graceful thank you to both the instructors.
That was easy, thought the newly crowned "genin." Too easy. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that I'm not the only person in this village who isn't what he appears. In fact, I know I'm not. His eyes lingered briefly on the white-haired judge next to Iruka before he turned to leave.
Naruto was called in just as Halen left.
Halen leaned casually against the wall in the playground outside, stuffing his new headband less than ceremoniously into his pocket and closing his eyes. With that simple action, the power of his scryer's jutsu allowed him to see into the room where Naruto's final exam was then taking place.
Naruto approached the instructor's table and crossed his fingers. One decrepit clone fell to the ground in front of Iruka.
"YOU FAIL!" Iruka howled.
Halen's eyes snapped open. His scryer's jutsu was still active; his opening eyes had been an expression of surprise. This was the day that Naruto Uzumaki had graduated the academy. He was sure it was. His information couldn't have been that off. What's more, Naruto is a master of the shadow clone jutsu. From what little I know of him, he should be able to produce hundreds or even thousands of clones without the slightest bit of trouble. I don't expect his skills to be as advanced at twelve as they are at sixteen, but these aren't even shadow clones we're being asked to make, and he can't even manage one? Something is very wrong here. Can my presence already have altered the timeline to this extent?
The white-haired teacher was speaking, defending Naruto. "We could cut him a break and pass him," he was saying.
"Mizuki sensei, the other students created at least three effective replications, and Naruto didn't even create one. I can't pass him."
Maybe there's some kind of appellate process that white-haired Mizuki person intends to initiate, Halen decided as a dejected Naruto to emerged to sulk on the swing. I'll just have to wait and see.
As the other boys crowded in a mob, congratulating each other on their success, Halen approached the solitary figure in the orange outfit.
"Hiya, Naruto," said Halen.
"Oh. Hiya, new guy. What'd you say your name was again?"
"Halen."
"Halen? That's a funny name."
"So's Naruto. Look, I just came over here to tell you that you shouldn't get too worked up about failing the exam."
Naruto looked up at Halen in surprise. "How'd you know that I failed? Cause I don't have a headband?"
"No. I spied on your exam. My specialty is collecting information, remember? I just wanted to say that I think you'll get a Leaf Headband. You'll become a genin. I'm sure of it. Call it a hunch."
"Yeah, thanks, new guy," said Naruto. It wouldn't have taken a ninja of Halen's caliber to tell that Naruto didn't mean what he'd said. Halen shrugged and turned to go, leaving Naruto alone on the swing. As he went, Halen heard Naruto call after him:
"By the way, new guy, my name's not just Naruto. It's Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm going to be Hokage one day! Believe it!"
"Sure," Halen yelled back with a sigh. At least Naruto had meant that one.
This is going to be a long year.
The Third Hokage inclined his hat against the midday sun and took a thoughtful puff on his pipe.
"One more thing, Iruka. Have you noticed anything odd about the new student, Halen?"
Iruka frowned. "Anything odd, Lord Hokage? I don't understand. You approved him to take the graduation exam personally. You said he was recommended to you by an old friend."
"Yes, and I would never have done so if I believed he was a threat to the village." The Hokage took another puff on his pipe. "However, I'm not so sure he's entirely normal. While I know that Master Sho of the Mountain Monastery would never betray my trust by sending a threatening individual into our midst, I've also never known him to take an apprentice or a pupil such as Halen."
Still frowning, Iruka flipped through his clipboard until he came to the notes about Halen.
"Well, Lord Hokage, there was one odd thing. In class, Halen said he didn't have much chakra but today he was able to produce ten clones."
"You think he lied to you?" asked the Hokage, removing his pipe.
"Maybe, but I think he said he didn't have much chakra because I kind of put him on the spot. I asked him to do a jutsu for the class... and you know, he's in a new place and and he doesn't know anyone. He's just a kid."
"I understand. All the same, I'm going to send someone to keep an eye on him."
Far away, in the room that he had rented, Halen was lying flat on his back and grinning to himself.
"So the Hokage's already on to me," he muttered. "He's a sly old fox. I'll give him that. So much for not drawing attention to myself."
Halen remained on his bed for minutes, then hours, as the time grew later and later. Day yielded to night, but Halen was watching all that transpired. Mizuki's conversation with Naruto, and Naruto's subsequent theft of the scroll. Halen watched Naruto practice and Iruka arrive, followed closely by Mizuki, and the battle that ensued, including Naruto's ultimate victory amidst a hundred shadow clones. Halen even watched the Hokage watching the same events in his own crystal ball, with his own scrying jutsu.
As midnight came and went, then the wee hours of the morning, Halen remained awake, the Leaf Headband he had won earlier that day still loose in his pocket. At four A.M., he finally decided to report in.
The air stopped and all color seemed to drain out of the world as the conference jutsu took effect, the image of the Lord of Five appearing from thin air in vapid green and electric blue.
"Was that really necessary, Halen?" asked the lord, observing the effects of the jutsu.
"Yes. The Hokage dispatched a member of the Anbu Black Ops to spy on me. She's on the roof right now, and I'd prefer it if she didn't overhear our conversation." With that, Halen relayed all he had seen. At the end of his report, he concluded, "I think I will need to allow myself the use of additional chakra and familiarize myself with everything we know about the Leaf. Clearly, I'm not nearly as familiar with circumstances as I should be."
"Never forget that you are impersonating a child. A fresh genin, more likely to be assigned to catch a stray dog than a rogue ninja."
"I know, my lord."
"I wish you'd stop calling me that. Check in again whenever you've found any useful information or... if you want to talk."
With that the lord's image disappeared and Halen finally lapsed into sleep. His last thought before he lost consciousness was that he'd underestimated Naruto Uzumaki, very nearly to his detriment. He wouldn't make the same mistake again.